Article carrier

ABSTRACT

A cellular bottle carrier formed from a single sheet of cut and scored paperboard or similar sheet material which is characterized by a multi-ply rigid, suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing its interior into two halves and by sets of cross partition members for each half with the center cross partition member being excised from a panel forming a ply of the longitudinal partition member and being hinged at its free end to a side wall and the remaining cross partition elements of each set thereof being derived in part by cutting strap forming portions from the upper corners of the side wall which are integrally hinged to the longitudinal partition member and which have attached thereto the upper portions of full depth separating panels which are derived from plies of the longitudinal partition member, thereby enabling the carrier to be produced with sufficient cells for 8 bottles and with partition panels providing substantially full depth separation of the bottles in adjoining cells.

United States Patent [1 1 Arneson [111 3,709,400 [451 Jan. 9, 1973 [73]Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company, Inc.,

Montvale, NJ.

[22] Filed: June 23,1971

[2]] Appl. No: 155,755

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. ..220/1l3, 220/115, 229/52 BC [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 75/00[58] Field of Search ..220/113, 115; 229/52 BC [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 3,443,723 5/1969 Arneson ..220/113 3,567,0693/1971 Harrelson ..220/1l3 3;568,880 3/1971 Harrelson ..220/1133,572,544 3/1971 Forrer ..220/113 3,624,790 11/1971 Stout ..220/1l33,612,347 10/1971 l-larrelson ..220/l13 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood,Jr. Assistant Examiner-John J. Love Attorney-Guy A. Greenawalt et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A cellular bottle carrier formed from a single sheet ofcut and scored paperboard or similar sheet material which ischaracterized by a multi-ply rigid, suspending and longitudinalpartition member subdividing its interior into two halves and by sets ofcross partition members for each half with the center cross partitionmember being excised from a panel fonning a ply of the longitudinalpartition member and being hinged at its free end to a side wall and theremaining cross partition elements of each set thereof being derived inpart by cutting strap forming portions from the upper corners of theside wall which are integrally hinged to the longitudinal partitionmember and which have attached thereto the upper portions of full depthseparating panels which are derived from plies of the longitudinalpartition member, thereby enabling the carrier to be produced withsufficient cells for 8 bottles and with partition panels providingsubstantially full depth separation of the bottles in adjoining cells.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 I975 SHEET 2 OF 2 ARTICLECARRIER This invention relates to article carriers which are adapted tobe fabricated from flexible paperboard or similar sheet material and ismore particularly concerned with improvements in a carrier of the typewhich is especially adapted for use in the packaging, display andtransportion of bottled beverages and similar products.

Article carriers formed of paperboard or similar material have long beenemployed in the marketing or bottled beverages and similar products.Various designs have been developed, generally providing a plurality ofcells for accommodating six beverage bots tles and more recently suchcarriers have been provided which have a larger number of cells so as toaccommodate, for example, 8 beverage bottles. One such carrier, featuresof which have been successfully embodied in a commercial carrier, isdisclosed in my US. Pat. No. 3,443,723, dated May 13, 1969. This carrieris characterized by a multi-ply, longitudinal, suspending partitionmember subdividing its interior into two halves which are furthersubdivided by sets of cross partition members extending between thelongitudinal partition member and the side walls and dividing the twohalves into four cells each so as to adapt the carrier to 8 bottlecapacity. Other carriers adapted for receiving a number of beveragebottles larger than the conventional six pack are disclosed in my US.Pat. No. 2,687,232, dated Aug. 24, 1954, and US. Pat. No. 3,062,404,dated Nov. 6, 1962. While carriers embodying these designs have beenused successfully for bottled beverages, their use has been limited tosome extent because they do not completely satisfy all the requirementsfor packaging certain products, particularly, products such as bottledbeer, where shipping regulations require that the bottles be separatedby providing substantially full depth partition members between thebottles in adjoining cells.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an improvedcarrier having a multiplicity of cells greater than six with partitionmembers extending between each pair of cells for separating the bottleswhich partition members are substantially the full depth of the cells soas to prevent contact between the bottles in adjoining cells.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improvedcellular article carrier which is characterized by a strong, stiff,central suspending panel member for suspending the weight of arelatively large package which suspending member also serves as alongitudinal partition, separating rows of articles positioned onopposite sides thereof, and a plurality of cross partition membersextending between the suspending member and the side walls, with certainof the cross partition members being in the form of straps cut from theupper corners of the side walls, and with other cross partition membersbeing excised from the panels forming plies of the central suspendingmember together with supplemental cross partition members which are cutfrom the panels forming plies of the central suspending member and whichare folded into the plane of the cross partition straps and extendsubstantially the full depth, or very nearly the full depth, of thecells, thereby forming cushion members between the portions of thebottles in adjoining cells which could otherwise be in contact.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a bot tle carriercharacterized by a mu'lti-ply, rigid, longitudinal, suspending partitionmember subdividing its interior into halves and by sets of crosspartition elements for each half with one element of each set beingarranged in integrally connected relation with and being cut from apanel forming a ply of the longitudinal partition member and beinghinged at the free end thereof to a side wall, and the remaining crosspartition elements of each set thereof being in the form of straps cutfrom the upper corners of the, side walls and integrally hinged to thelongitudinal partition member, together with supplemental articleseparating panels which are cut from the panels forming plies of thelongitudinal partition member and which are hinged into the plane of thecross partition straps and secured thereto so as to extend at least halfthe width of the cells and very nearly the full depth thereof therebyproviding separation between the bottles in the cells for substantiallythe full depth thereof and preventing contact between the bottles inadjacent cells.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom a consideration of the bottle carrier which is shown by way ofillustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with portions broken away, of an articlecarrier, in set up empty condition, which has incorporated therein theprincipal features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside face of the prepared blank fromwhich the carrier is formed, the view showing adhesive applied tocertain areas of the blank preliminary to executing the first foldingoperation;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the blank shown in FIG. 4 following certainfolding and adhesive applying operations; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the completed carrier in flat, knocked downcondition.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated form of the carrier isfabricated from a generally rectangular paperboard blank 10 which is cutand creased as shown in FIG. 4. The blank is divided into a bottom wallforming section 11 and two substantially identical side wall andpartition and handle forming sections 12 and. 13, with the latter twosections being symmetrical about the crease or score line 14 and formingmirror images of each other. Since the blank sections 12 and 13 aredivided into various fold forming panel elements by identical creasingand cutting lines, only one of these sections will be fully described,the same numerals primed being applied to the corresponding elements ofthe other section.

The section 12 of the blank 10 is subdivided by transversely extending,longitudinally spaced crease or score lines and longitudinally extendingcutting lines into a side wall forming panel 15 which extends betweenlongitudinally spaced, parallel, transverse score lines 16 and 17, endwall forming panels 20 and 21 at the opposite ends of the side wallpanel 15, and longitudinal partition forming panels 22 and 23 which areseparated from the adjoining end wall panels 20 and 21 by parallel,transverse score lines 24 and 25. The one longitudinal partition panel23 has an extended inner marginal portion 26 at the top forming edgethereof which is taken from the portion of the blank adjoining thelongitudinal score line 14 and which is adapted to be trapped betweenpanel elements of the handle structure when the carrier is set up. Thispanel is also subdivided by transverse score line 27 and longitudinalcutting line 28 to provide a supplemental cross partition panel 30. Thepanel 30 has a dimension in the transverse direction of the blankslightly less than the corresponding dimension of the side wall panel orslightly less than the depth of the bottle receiving cells when thecarrier is set up. The dimension of the cross partition panel 30 in thelongitudinal direction of the blank is greater than one-half thecorresponding dimension of the end wall panel 21, that is, greater thanone-half the dimension of the bottle receiving cells in the directiontransverse of the carrier.

The other longitudinal panel 22 has an extended inner marginal portion32 which is also taken from a portion of the blank adjoining the scoreline 14 and which is adapted to be trapped between panel elements of thehandle structure when the carrier is set up. The panel 22 has a hookforming notch 33 at its outer or bottom forming edge which is adapted toreceive the edge of the bottom wall when the carrier is set up, as shownin FIG. 2. The panel 22 has a cross partition panel 34 excised therefromby the generally U-shaped cutting line 35, the legs of which extendlongitudinally and terminate at the ends of a hinge forming transversescore line 36. A glue flap or glue tab 37 is formed on the free end ofthe panel 34 by the transverse score line 38 which is parallel with thescore line 36. The glue tab 37 has a small tab extension 40 formed bythe C-shaped cutting line 41, the legs of which extend to the score line38. The width of the cross partition panel 34, that is, the distancebetween the parallel score lines 36 and 38 is substantially the same asthe corresponding dimension of the end wall panel 20, which is the cellwidth, or dimension transversely of the carrier, when it is set up. Thetransverse score line 36 terminates short of the side edge 42 of theblank which leaves the cross partition panel 34 with a verticaldimension somewhat less than the depth of the bottle receiving cellswhile the width of the panel or its dimension normal to the score line36 in the area immediately adjoining the latter is greater than onehalfthe transverse dimension of the bottle receiving cells.

A supplemental cross partition panel 43 is cut from the panel 22 by thegenerally C-shaped cutting line 44, the legs of which terminate atextended end portions of the transverse score line 38 with the over-alldimension of panel 43 in the longitudinal direction of the blank beinggreater than one-half the dimension of the cells in the transversedirection of the carrier. The panel 43 is, of course, C-shaped by reasonof the cutting of the glue tab 37 from the same. The outer legs of thecutting lines 35 and 44 are aligned and the inner legs are aligned witha longitudinally extending score line 45 which separates from the panel22 a longitudinal partition reinforcing and article separating panel 46which is cut from the material in the area between the two longitudinalpartition panels 22 and 22'. The panel 46 is cut free of the panel 22 onthe line 47. It is cut free of the extension 32 of the panel on theirregular line 48 and the extension 32' of the panel 22 so that it isadapted to hinge about the score line 45 into position for sandwichingbetween the panels 22 and 22 when the carrier is set up thereby forminga reinforcement for the iongitudinal partition panel assembly and withan inner section or portion 50 thereof forming also an articleseparating panel, as shown in FIG. 2, between the two end cells, withthe main portion of the panel 46 constituting a separator between thenext two adjacent cells.

A center divider and longitudinal partition and handle forming section52 extends between the score lines 25, 25' and a cutting line 53connecting the inner ends of the score lines 24 and 24'. The partitionand handle forming section 52 is symmetrical about the longitudinallyextending score line 14 and is divided thereby into two halves 54 and54' which are mirror images of each other. The two handle halves 54 and54' are hingedly connected to longitudinal partition panels 23 and 23'by extended portions 55 and 55' of the score lines 25 and 25 and arehinged to each other on score line 14. The handle forming section 52 isfreed from the end wall forming panels 20, 20 and 21, 21 by the diagonalcutting lines 56, 56' and 57, 57'. The intermediate portions of thepanel members 54, 54 are freed from the side wall panels 15 and 15' byparallel, longitudinal cutting lines 58 and 58 which extend betweeninner hinge forming sections 60, 60' and 61, 61' of the score lines 16,16' and 17, 17', respectively. The score line sections 60, 60' and 61,61 form inner hinges for relatively narrow cross partition formingstraps 62, 62' and 63, 63 which are cut from the comers of the side wallpanels 15 and 15 on the longitudinally extending cutting lines 64, 64and 65, 65, the latter terminating short of the center of the panel andextending parallel with the end portions of longitudinal cutting lines58, 58'. Score lines 66, 66' and 67, 67 extend transversely of the blankbetween the spaced inner ends of the cutting lines 64, 64 and 65, 65'and the cutting lines 58, 58 to form the outer hinges of the crosspartition straps 62, 62' and 63, 63' which straps extend in the set upposition of the carrier between the side walls 15, 15' and the handleand longitudinal partition structure.

The handle and longitudinal partition forming section 52 of the blank 10is divided by transversely extending score line 68, 68, which is alignedwith the score lines 66, 66, into outer handle forming panels 70, 70 andinner handle forming reinforcing panels 71, 71 the former having handholes 72, 72 and the latter having hand holes 73, 73, cut out asindicated, with the hand holes 72, 72 having associated locking flaps74, 74' hinged about longitudinally extending score lines 75, 75'. Theextensions 26 and 26' on the partition panels 23 and 23 have hand holes76, 76 cut therein which are adapted to align with portions of the handholes 73 and 73.

The bottom wall forming panel section 11 is separated from the adjacentside wall forming panel 15 by hinge forming score line 77 and issubdivided by a parallel outwardly spaced score line 78 into twosubstantially equal bottom wall panels 80 and 80'. At the other side ofthe blank 10 a glue flap 81 is provided which is separated from theadjoining side wall panel 15 by hinge forming score line 82.

The blank 10, when out and creased, is glued and folded to provide thecarrier which is illustrated in FIG. 1. In setting up the carrier fromthe blank 10, adhesive is applied to the handle reinforcing panels 71,71, to the inner portions 26, 26 and 32, 32' of the longitudinalpartition panels 23, 23' and 22, 22, to the cross partition glue flaps37, 40 and 37', 40 and to portions at the inner ends of the supplementalcross partition panels 30, 30' and 43, 43. The handle forming innerpanels 71, 71' are first folded inwardly about the score lines 68 and68', the cross partition straps 62 and 62 folding with them about thescore lines 66 and 66'. The longitudinal partition panels 23 and 23' arethen folded inwardly about the score lines 25 and 25' after which thelongitudinal partition panels 22 and 22' with their adjoining end wallforming panels 20 and 20' are folded inwardly about the score lines 16and 16. The longitudinal partition and reinforcing panel 46 is thenfolded about the score line 45 bringing the blank into the conditionshown in FIG. 5. Adhesive is then applied to the exposed face of the onelongitudinal partition panel 22 or 22', and the panel portion 26 or 26as shown in FIG. 5. The bottom wall panels 80 and 80' are then foldedupon each other and the entire assembly is folded about the score line14 so that the glue flap 81 overlies and is adhered to the outsidemargin of the outermost bottom wall panel 80'. This completes the gluingand folding of the blank and provides the collapsed carrier shown inFIG. 6, which when opened up, is in the form shown in FIG. 1.

In the form of the blank and carrier which is illustrated, thesupplemental cross partition members 30 and 30' are cut from thelongitudinal or center partition panels 23 and 23 which are at one endof the blank while the cross partition members 43 and 43' are cut fromthe longitudinal partition panels 22 and 22. In another form of theblank and carrier which is contemplated the longitudinal partitionpanels 22 and 22 may be extended a sufficient distance in thelongitudinal direction of the blank to enable both sets of thesupplemental cross partition panels to be cut from these panels alongwith the center cross partition panels 34 and 34'. The panels 22 and 22'would be ex tended some distance beyond hinge lines for the additionalsupplemental cross partitions and said hinge lines would be located adistance from the parallel hinge lines 36 and 36' corresponding to thedistance between the hinge lines 36, 38 and 36', 38', with thesupplemental cross partition members cut from the panel material whichlies between said hinge lines and the ends of the panels which areconnected to the end wall forming panels. The free ends of thelongitudinal partition panels 22, 23 and 22', 23' would be cut toprovide portions for separating the bottles on opposite sides of thecenter partition member and the panel 46 would be extended in likemanner for the same purpose.

Iclaim:

1. An article carrier formed from a blank of flexible sheet material,comprising a pair of rectangular bottom panels foldably connected toeach other along a central fold line, side wall panels foldablyconnected to the side edges of the bottom panels, end wall panelsfoldably connected along vertical hinge lines to the end edges of theside wall panels, each of said end wall panels having a longitudinalcenter partition forming panel connected along a vertical hinge line tothe inner edge thereof, said longitudinal partition panels having uppermarginal portions extending above the top edge of the side wall panelsand being connected in paired relation at each end of the carrier, apair of handle forming sections spanning the space between and securedto said upper marginal portions of said longitudinal partition panels,said handle sections being foldably connected at one end thereof alongvertical hinge lines to the upper marginal portions of an adjacent pairof said longitudinal partition panels, handle reinforcing panelsconnected along vertical hinge lines at the other ends of said handlesections and inwardly folded so as to extend between the latter, a pairof relatively narrow cross partition straps foldably connected to eachof the side walls on parallel vertical hinge lines in the upper marginsthereof which are spaced apart approximately twice the length of saidstraps, the cross partition straps of each pair thereof being foldablyconnected at their opposite ends along vertical hinge lines to a handlesection and a handle reinforcing panel, respectively, a pair of centercross partition panels integrally hinged to a pair of said longitudinalpartition panels and having flaps at their outer ends connecting saidcenter cross partition panels on vertical hinge lines to the side wallpanels intermediate the hinge connections therewith of said crosspartition straps, said cross partition panelseach being cut from theassociated longitudinal partition panel in an area extending from thehinged connection therewith toward the end of said longitudinalpartition panel which is connected with the end wall panel, andsupplemental cross partition panels cut from said longitudinal partitionpanels and hinged into cross partition relation on vertical hinge lines,which are spaced from the end wall panels a distance approximately thesame as the hinged connection of said cross partition straps with saidlongitudinal partition structure, which supplemental cross partitionpanels cooperate with said cross partition straps to providesubstantially full depth separation for the bottles in the adjoiningcells.

2. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1, and said cross partitionstraps being cut from the upper corners of said side wall panels andintegrally connected at their inner ends to the handle panels and thehandle reinforcing panels, respectively, and said supplemental crosspartition panels having top marginal portions connected to said crosspartition straps.

3. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supplementalcross partition panels are in paired relation at opposite ends of thecarrier and wherein the panels of one pair of said supplemental crosspartition panels each have a hinged connection with the longitudinalpartition panel from which it is out which is spaced from the hingedconnection of said longitudinal partition panel with the associated endwall panel a distance corresponding approximately to the spacing fromsaid end wall of the hinged connection of the associated cross partitionstrap with the longitudinal partition structure.

4. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein said longitudinalpartition structure includes a panel which is hinged to the top edge ofa longitudinal partition panel from which one of said center crosspartition panels is cut and which is folded downwardly so that it isdisposed between the pairs of cells at one end of the carrier so as toprovide substantially full depth separation between the bottles in saidpairs of cells.

5. A carrier for a plurality of bottles comprising a bottom wall,upright side walls hinged to the side edges of the bottom wall, endwalls connecting corresponding ends of the side walls, a multi-ply rigidsuspending and longitudinal partition member subdividing the carrierinto two halves, a set of cross partition elements in each of saidhalves which are longitudinally spaced to divide the same into fourbottle accommodating cells, each set of cross partition elementsincluding a panel element which is integrally connected at one endthereof to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition memberon a vertical hinge line spaced equal distances from the end walls, saidlongitudinal partition panel ply being integrally hinged to one end walland said panel element being cut from a portion of said panel ply whichextends between said vertical hinge line and the end wall to which saidpanel ply is hinged and having an integrally hinged glue flap at the endopposite said vertical hinge line which is secured to the side wall atthe center thereof, a pair of strap-like elements constituting crosspartition members which are cut from the upper corners at opposite endsof the side wall and integrally hinged to said side wall on verticalhinge lines 7 spaced equal distances from the adjacent end wall and fromthe hinged connections of said panel element with said side wall and thelongitudinal partition member and supplemental cross partition panelscut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member andhinged on vertical hinge lines into transverse planes with the topmargins overlying said straplike cross partition elements whereby toprovide the carrier with sufficient cells to accommodate eight bottlesand with substantially full depth separation of the bottles.

6. A carrier as set forth in claim wherein said supplemental crosspartition panels are cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinalpartition member which ply forming panels are hinged to said end wallsat opposite ends of said carrier.

7. A carrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein each said supplementalcross partition panel is hinged on a vertical hinge line to a panelforming a ply of said longitudinal partition which panel is hinged to anend wall at the adjacent end of the carrier 8. A one piece articlecarrier forming blank which is cut and creased to divide the same into abottom wall forming section, side wall forming panels, an end wallforming panel hingedly connected to each end of each of said side wallpanels, a center partition forming panel hingedly connected to each ofsaid end wall panels, one of said side wall forming panels being connected on a hinge forming crease line to a side of the bottom wallforming section, each of the center partition forming panels at one endof the side wall panels having a cross partition panel cut therefrom soas to extend from a crease line spaced inwardly of the free edge thereofin the direction of the associated side wall panel and handle formingpanels divided into two portions, each of which is hingedly connected atone end thereof to inner edge extensions of adjacent center partitionforming panels and each said handle forming panel portion having ahandle reinforcing panel hinged to the edge thereof WhlCh lS oppositeits hinged connection with the respective center partition formingpanel, said handle forming panel portions and handle reinforcing panelsbeing connected to the side wall panels by cross partition formingstraps which are hingedly connected thereto at opposite ends thereof,and supplemental cross partition panels cut from said center partitionforming panels which have a dimension transversely of the blankcorresponding approximately to the dimension of the side wall panels inthe same direction, said supplemental cross partition panels each havinga dimension in a direction longitudinally of the blank which is no lessthan one-half the corresponding dimension of the adjoining end wallforming panels whereby when said center partition forming panels arefolded inwardly and overlie the adjoining end wall panels a top marginalportion of each supplemental cross partition panel will overlie aportion of a cross partition forming strap adjacent the hingedconnection of said strap with the associated center partition formingpanel.

9. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8wherein a supplemental center partition panel is cut from the area ofblank material between said center partition forming panels at one endof the blank which is hingedly connected to the inner longitudinallyextending edge of one of said center partition forming panels so thatsaid supplemental center partition panel may be folded about its hingedconnection and sandwiched between said center partition forming panelswhen the carrier is erected to provide substantially full depthseparation between articles in the pairs of cells at one end of thecarrierv 10. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth inclaim 8 wherein each supplemental cross partition panel is cut from acenter partition forming panel so as to hinge on a line extendingtransversely of the blank and spaced from the transverse hinge lineconnecting the center partition forming panel with the adjacent end wallpanel a distance corresponding to the width of said end wall panel. I

1. An article carrier formed from a blank of flexible sheet material,comprising a pair of rectangular bottom panels foldably connected toeach other along a central fold line, side wall panels foldablyconnected to the side edges of the bottom panels, end wall panelsfoldably connected along vertical hinge lines to the end edges of theside wall panels, each of said end wall panels having a longitudinalcenter partition forming panel connected along a vertical hinge line tothe inner edge thereof, said longitudinal partition panels having uppermarginal portions extending above the top edge of the side wall panelsand being connected in paired relation at each end of the carrier, apair of handle forming sections spanning the space between and securedto said upper marginal portions of said longitudinal partition panels,said handle sections being foldably connected at one end thereof alongvertical hinge lines to the upper marginal portions of an adjacent pairof said longitudinal partition panels, handle reinforcing panelsconnected along vertical hinge lines at the other ends of said handlesections and inwardly folded so as to extend between the latter, a pairof relatively narrow cross partition straps foldably connected to eachof the side walls on parallel vertical hinge lines in the upper marginsthereof which are spaced apart approximately twice the length of saidstRaps, the cross partition straps of each pair thereof being foldablyconnected at their opposite ends along vertical hinge lines to a handlesection and a handle reinforcing panel, respectively, a pair of centercross partition panels integrally hinged to a pair of said longitudinalpartition panels and having flaps at their outer ends connecting saidcenter cross partition panels on vertical hinge lines to the side wallpanels intermediate the hinge connections therewith of said crosspartition straps, said cross partition panels each being cut from theassociated longitudinal partition panel in an area extending from thehinged connection therewith toward the end of said longitudinalpartition panel which is connected with the end wall panel, andsupplemental cross partition panels cut from said longitudinal partitionpanels and hinged into cross partition relation on vertical hinge lines,which are spaced from the end wall panels a distance approximately thesame as the hinged connection of said cross partition straps with saidlongitudinal partition structure, which supplemental cross partitionpanels co-operate with said cross partition straps to providesubstantially full depth separation for the bottles in the adjoiningcells.
 2. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1, and said crosspartition straps being cut from the upper corners of said side wallpanels and integrally connected at their inner ends to the handle panelsand the handle reinforcing panels, respectively, and said supplementalcross partition panels having top marginal portions connected to saidcross partition straps.
 3. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1wherein said supplemental cross partition panels are in paired relationat opposite ends of the carrier and wherein the panels of one pair ofsaid supplemental cross partition panels each have a hinged connectionwith the longitudinal partition panel from which it is cut which isspaced from the hinged connection of said longitudinal partition panelwith the associated end wall panel a distance correspondingapproximately to the spacing from said end wall of the hinged connectionof the associated cross partition strap with the longitudinal partitionstructure.
 4. An article carrier as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidlongitudinal partition structure includes a panel which is hinged to thetop edge of a longitudinal partition panel from which one of said centercross partition panels is cut and which is folded downwardly so that itis disposed between the pairs of cells at one end of the carrier so asto provide substantially full depth separation between the bottles insaid pairs of cells.
 5. A carrier for a plurality of bottles comprisinga bottom wall, upright side walls hinged to the side edges of the bottomwall, end walls connecting corresponding ends of the side walls, amulti-ply rigid suspending and longitudinal partition member subdividingthe carrier into two halves, a set of cross partition elements in eachof said halves which are longitudinally spaced to divide the same intofour bottle accommodating cells, each set of cross partition elementsincluding a panel element which is integrally connected at one endthereof to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinal partition memberon a vertical hinge line spaced equal distances from the end walls, saidlongitudinal partition panel ply being integrally hinged to one end walland said panel element being cut from a portion of said panel ply whichextends between said vertical hinge line and the end wall to which saidpanel ply is hinged and having an integrally hinged glue flap at the endopposite said vertical hinge line which is secured to the side wall atthe center thereof, a pair of strap-like elements constituting crosspartition members which are cut from the upper corners at opposite endsof the side wall and integrally hinged to said side wall on verticalhinge lines spaced equal distances from the adjacent end wall and fromthe hinged connections of Said panel element with said side wall and thelongitudinal partition member and supplemental cross partition panelscut from panels forming plies of said longitudinal partition member andhinged on vertical hinge lines into transverse planes with the topmargins overlying said strap-like cross partition elements whereby toprovide the carrier with sufficient cells to accommodate eight bottlesand with substantially full depth separation of the bottles.
 6. Acarrier as set forth in claim 5 wherein said supplemental crosspartition panels are cut from panels forming plies of said longitudinalpartition member which ply forming panels are hinged to said end wallsat opposite ends of said carrier.
 7. A carrier as set forth in claim 5wherein each said supplemental cross partition panel is hinged on avertical hinge line to a panel forming a ply of said longitudinalpartition which panel is hinged to an end wall at the adjacent end ofthe carrier.
 8. A one piece article carrier forming blank which is cutand creased to divide the same into a bottom wall forming section, sidewall forming panels, an end wall forming panel hingedly connected toeach end of each of said side wall panels, a center partition formingpanel hingedly connected to each of said end wall panels, one of saidside wall forming panels being connected on a hinge forming crease lineto a side of the bottom wall forming section, each of the centerpartition forming panels at one end of the side wall panels having across partition panel cut therefrom so as to extend from a crease linespaced inwardly of the free edge thereof in the direction of theassociated side wall panel and handle forming panels divided into twoportions, each of which is hingedly connected at one end thereof toinner edge extensions of adjacent center partition forming panels andeach said handle forming panel portion having a handle reinforcing panelhinged to the edge thereof which is opposite its hinged connection withthe respective center partition forming panel, said handle forming panelportions and handle reinforcing panels being connected to the side wallpanels by cross partition forming straps which are hingedly connectedthereto at opposite ends thereof, and supplemental cross partitionpanels cut from said center partition forming panels which have adimension transversely of the blank corresponding approximately to thedimension of the side wall panels in the same direction, saidsupplemental cross partition panels each having a dimension in adirection longitudinally of the blank which is no less than one-half thecorresponding dimension of the adjoining end wall forming panels wherebywhen said center partition forming panels are folded inwardly andoverlie the adjoining end wall panels a top marginal portion of eachsupplemental cross partition panel will overlie a portion of a crosspartition forming strap adjacent the hinged connection of said strapwith the associated center partition forming panel.
 9. A one piecearticle carrier forming blank as set forth in claim 8 wherein asupplemental center partition panel is cut from the area of blankmaterial between said center partition forming panels at one end of theblank which is hingedly connected to the inner longitudinally extendingedge of one of said center partition forming panels so that saidsupplemental center partition panel may be folded about its hingedconnection and sandwiched between said center partition forming panelswhen the carrier is erected to provide substantially full depthseparation between articles in the pairs of cells at one end of thecarrier.
 10. A one piece article carrier forming blank as set forth inclaim 8 wherein each supplemental cross partition panel is cut from acenter partition forming panel so as to hinge on a line extendingtransversely of the blank and spaced from the transverse hinge lineconnecting the center partition forming panel with the adjacent end wallpanel a distance corresponding to the width of said End wall panel.